The Silver Mask (Magisterium #4)(47)

“Here’s what you have to do.” Call leaned down to tell the Chaos-ridden wolf.



As Call and Aaron descended the stairs, Call could hear the plan working. Havoc was barking and running around, leading the mages on a merry chase. They were all trying to figure out what set him off, sure it meant the Assembly was attacking.

As Havoc scampered around, Call and Aaron went straight to the experiment room, closing the door and locking it behind them.

It was only then they realized they weren’t alone. Alex was sitting on the floor, an array of books open around him in a strange circle. He was sunken-eyed and his skin looked blotchy.

On a gurney on the other end of the room was a bizarre dead body. The corpse was that of a grown person, but with a face that appeared a grotesque parody of Drew’s more childlike features. It looked as though it had been sculpted out of flesh, but with a butter knife. It was dressed in a parody of kid clothes: a shirt with a horse on it and red jeans. Just looking at it made Call’s stomach churn.

“Uh,” he said. “Sorry. We didn’t know anyone else was in here.”

Aaron just looked at Alex silently. There might even have been a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

Alex pushed himself to his feet, taking a few of the books with him. He pointed a shaking finger at Call. “You! You didn’t explain what you did right. You lied.” He tried to shoulder past where Call and Aaron were standing.

“Oh no,” Call stopped him with a hand on his chest. Alex was taller than they were, but it was two to one, and Aaron was a lot more intimidating now that he was back from the dead. “You’re going to help us.”

“I’m not doing anything until you explain how you brought Aaron back — the truth, not what you’ve been saying to make Master Joseph torment me.”

“I did tell you the truth. You just can’t do it.”

Alex looked straight at Call. For the first time the smirk was gone from his face. He looked sincerely scared. “Why? Why wouldn’t I be able to do it? Why can’t I just reach out and find his soul?”

Call shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t do that. We had Aaron’s body. You don’t have Drew’s. How are you supposed to find his soul?”

The despair on Alex’s face was obvious, but Master Joseph wasn’t going to stop wanting his son to come back. Even if it was impossible, he was going to insist on it.

“So there’s no hope,” Alex said.

“I don’t know,” said Call. “You help me with Aaron and I’ll help you with your problem.”

Alex had been studying longer than he had — he’d been going after those Evil Overlord Points that Call had been fighting against for years. And if there was any chance that Alex had the key to helping Aaron, then it was worth taking.

Alex looked at Aaron and frowned. Aaron sat down on the floor, where Alex had been, and picked up a book.

“He seems fine,” Alex grumbled. “Help you with what?”

“He’s not happy,” Call tried to explain.

Alex snorted. “Yeah, well, join the club. I’m not happy either. If I don’t bring back Drew, I’m in deep trouble. Master Joseph keeps eyeing the Alkahest.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have suggested he use it on me,” Call said unsympathetically.

Alex sighed, not really having a retort for that. “So we’re supposed to find some magical way to make Aaron happy again?”

Call frowned at Aaron, sitting on the floor, flipping pages as though he wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. “He’s not unhappy, exactly,” he said. “He’s just — not in the right place. He’s like a guy who took a train to a station and then had to get off and back on because he forgot his suitcase and now he’s going the wrong way.”

“Oh yeah,” Alex said sarcastically. “That’s much clearer.”

Call didn’t want to tell Alex everything Aaron had said — that seemed private. But he tried one more time. “Aaron doesn’t have any magic. Fine, you stole his Makar abilities, but he should still be a mage, right? And he’s not. Whatever is cutting him off from magic, that could be the missing part of him that’s keeping him from feeling whole.”

Alex hesitated.

“Besides,” Call added, “if you brought back Drew without magic, that wouldn’t exactly thrill Master Joseph.”

Alex glared at him out of swollen eyes. “That’s true,” he said grudgingly. “All right, what are you suggesting?”

“We learned how to do the soul tap at the Magisterium,” said Call. “I feel like I should try to look at Aaron’s soul. Maybe see if I can tell what the problem is.”

“What am I supposed to be here for?” Alex wanted to know.

Call took a deep breath. “You’re older than us and you’ve been studying this longer. So think about what else we can check.”

“And if we can’t find anything wrong?”

“I could give him more of my soul,” Call said in a low voice. “Maybe I just didn’t give him enough.”

Alex shook his head. “Your funeral,” he said finally. “Aaron, get up on the experiment table.”

Aaron looked over at the gurney with the corpse on it for a long moment. “No,” he said. “I won’t.”